Swallowing his medicine

Bears' Manning Jr. begins to put his suspension behind him

November 30, 2006|By John Mullin, Tribune staff reporter.

Cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. confessed he didn't see the Bears' loss Sunday to the New England Patriots. The starting time of the game was late afternoon and Manning needed to get back to Chicago after his one-game suspension imposed by the NFL.

But could the Bears have used him in nickel coverage against Patriots quarterback Tom Brady? Manning isn't so sure.

"Maybe a little bit, but not too much," Manning said Wednesday. "I don't want to beat myself up thinking about that, thinking about what-ifs. I could have contributed, but we did cause five turnovers, so I couldn't have done too much more."

The NFL suspended Manning after he pleaded no contest to a felony assault charge.

Manning then decided not to appeal the suspension that cost him more than $90,000 in pay.

"[The NFL] basically had to suspend me because I took the plea and I understand that," Manning said. "It is a little easier to accept [knowing that]. People saw the tape and know that I didn't do what I was accused of."

Manning was charged with being part of an attack on a patron at a Los Angeles-area restaurant that left the man unconscious. Manning also allegedly used racial and ethnic slurs against the victim. A videotape of the incident verified Manning's account to both the league's and the Bears' satisfaction.

Nevertheless, as recently as a week ago Manning was depicted as a thug by at least one national commentator, who also criticized linebacker Brian Urlacher for Urlacher's criticism of the NFL's delay in arriving at a decision.

"It is [difficult] because a lot of people are misinformed and don't know the facts, and that makes it kind of frustrating," Manning said. "I remember Urlacher made a comment saying it was [wrong] they suspended me and a reporter [disagreed because of] racial slurs.

"That let me know what a lot of people are thinking. But I didn't do that. That wasn't done. That's the only thing that's really messed up."

Manning was upset about the suspension, but he said after he talked about it with his agent he understood the plea forced the league's hand regardless of his version of the event.

Manning did not spend his week off brooding. He spent it at his home in Fresno, Calif., with his wife Jessica and his 2-week-old son, whose name came as no surprise.

"Ricky Manning III," Manning said, reporting that his son weighed 7 pounds 3 ounces and measured 18 1/2 inches. What about other name possibilities?